What does the research say about the four-day school week?

A recent Education Week article reviewed the research on 4-day school weeks (4DSW), which are slowly growing in popularity. The idea behind the 4DSW is to cut operating costs, increase teacher recruitment and retention, and decrease burnout for students and teachers, giving struggling students extra catch-up time and giving teachers more time for planning. The results? Multiple studies reported mixed effects on student achievement, but achievement appeared to stabilize as long as enough instructional hours were provided within the parameters of the four days. In terms of teacher retention rates, a 2025 study in Texas found that teacher turnover fell 2.7% in districts that moved to a 4DSW over the course of a 17-year window. Finally, the cost savings reported have been 0.4% to 2.5%. That being said, a 2023 poll found that more than half of adults support the concept of the 4DSW, nearly double the share from two decades earlier.

Source:

• Best Evidence in Brief:  Short summaries of recent research in education.